The Mbayongo community in Taraba and Benue on Wednesday petitioned the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), over the wanton killings and destruction of property worth millions of naira by the Nigeria Army and Air Force in the name of searching for a wanted criminal, Terwase Akwaza popularly known as Ghana.

The community is also demanding N3 billion compensation for the lives and property destroyed.

This was contained in the petition by the secretary of the community MacDonald Usaa and acknowledged by the NHRC and which was made available to BusinessDay in Jalingo.

The community wondered why the Nigeria Army and Air Force who should be protecting the fundamental human rights of the people as guaranteed by the constitution of Nigeria would engage in wanton killing and destruction of property belonging to a defenceless community like Mbayongo.

“In the wake of the sustained attacks by the armed forces on our communities, we and the vast majority of villages where these attacks have been concentrated have been completely overwhelmed and are now desolate and devastated as we have suffered wanton destruction of property and lives including,” the community said.

“The massive burning down and general destruction of houses and homes, sundry household items, farms, crops, economic trees, vehicles, machinery, foodstuffs, schools among others as the armed forces do not exercise any care during these attacks.

“The community is demanding monetary compensation of N3 billion only to the families of those killed in the raid to enable them to take care of the relations of victims,” they said.

The community also said they wanted the commission to investigate the wanton killings as well as direct the federal government to rehabilitate the people and reconstruct their homes and farms destroyed.

“Even though no amount of compensation will be worth the lives, the commission should direct the federal government to rehabilitate our people and reconstruct their homes and farms destroyed in the air and lands raids on our communities”, they said.

Business Day, established in 2001, is a daily business newspaper based in Lagos. It is the only Nigerian newspaper with a bureau in Accra, Ghana. It has both daily and Sunday titles. It circulates in Nigeria and Ghana